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Reviews of Hostel du Nord

2 out of 5
Hostel du Nord
217 W 1st St, Duluth, MN

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 130 out of 203 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 45 out of 203 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 9 out of 203 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 15 out of 203 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 203 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

8.8/10

Amenities

8.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Allison

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Benjamin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I’ll stay here again when I’m in the area.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Bethany

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

6/10 Okay

Allan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beds were snug but a little on the warm side
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

4/10 Poor

Chong

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
It was easy checking in. It’s in the city easy to go around but it would be better if there is restroom in the room. There’s a smell in the building as well.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Darin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Generally very groovy. Bed way to firm for my taste. That's how it goes.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Marshall

Outstanding establishment.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jeff

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Quirky just like i hoped
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tod

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kristin

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
There was so much to love about this property! It was a completely unique experience from all the other options we had to choose from in Duluth! It was a 5 minute walk from the DECC and within a few minutes of any store/restaurants that we decided to adventure to..not to mention, accommodate 7 people in ONE ROOM! The ease of getting into and out of the building was flawless, with keyless entry to each room! The kids loved being able to explore the patio, sitting area, community rooms and the shared kitchen! They LOVED the basement of the Annex, and tho they were in the middle of construction, they had it all well laid out, blocked off and instructions posted to stay out. The kids already suggested that we only stay there in our future trips to duluth!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

4/10 Poor

Melissa

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Room comfort
No rest for the weary.
I don't understand how a place charging $240/night for a "private" room can call themselves a hostel. That flies in the face of the definition of a hostel. The private room was more of a cubicle. The walls were super thin and didn't reach the ceiling. So if any other room turned on a light, all of the rooms enjoyed it. There was no privacy at all. The bachelorette party across the hall went on until 4:18am even though the hostel had a policy of quiet from 10pm-9am. Several guests kept shushing them but they hissed back. Alarms started going off at 6am and a group down the hall started slamming doors and having loud conversations at around 7:30am. Guests shushed the guys to no avail. I texted the gal at the front desk and she did come over to tell them to be quiet--also to no avail. So there was no way to get any sleep. A pile of face towels were placed in the hallway for guests but one guest took them all so there were none available for the rest of us. Bathrooms were clean and had soap & TP. We didn't use any of the many other amenities. It is within walking distance of Canal Park and downtown. Downtown is dying, with many closed businesses, abandoned buildings in disrepair, and homeless people. "Free" parking is located behind the building. I just don't see the value in this "hostel"--not $240/night worth. I've stayed in hostels in China and Quebec City many years ago for $3-$10/night and had much better sleep and a nicer experience than this.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Robert on 16 Aug 2023
Bummer to hear about your experience, Melissa!This is not a normal occurrence at Hostel du Nord, by any means. I did discuss this with my staff and they assured me that they did everything they could to resolve the matter in a timely fashion. Regarding the 240/night, I'm not sure where that number came from. I see you paid 165 which is actually a bit higher than our normal rate (when you book direct), so I'm not sure what happened there. Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention. We are working to improve our guests' experience daily. We do hope you will come give us another shot down the road. We can change and we will!

6/10 Okay

Isabel

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ryan

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Our whole crew absolutely loved this stay! Soo affordable for a large group and very fun areas to hang out. Everything was very clean (beds, bathrooms, kitchens etc…) It’s 5-10 minutes away from downtown Duluth but has other little shops that are walkable distance. Service was awesome and very accommodating! Definitely would recommend!!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ania

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The staff were great.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Anita

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Friendly and helpful staff, great conversations with other guests in the common areas, excellent location.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Isaac

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

JOHN, South Saint Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Hostel style hotel. Very welcoming and nice amenities. I got the Superior room, so my own private space. Roselle at the check-in desk couldn't have been nicer. Would stay again!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Joseph

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

2/10 Terrible

Taylor

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

4/10 Poor

DORIS, ALEXANDRIA

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Not a hotel Too much climbing

10/10 Excellent

Brian

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice but not for everyone
While I enjoyed my stay, it certainly isn't for everyone. My cubby was comfortable enough, but if you are claustrophobic, you wouldn't like the beds. The upper bunk can be a bit of a challenge to get in to, so if you have any mobility issues, ask for a lower. It would be nice if the ladder extended out a bit from the frame. Despite privacy concerns, everyone seemed to respect everyone else's space, and I had no issues in that regard. Certainly not a place for kids. Or if you expect a TV in your room to watch. But in terms of being a comfortable and affordable sleeping space for a solo traveler, it certainly was that.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Melissa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

8/10 Good

Stephanie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2022

4/10 Poor

Leslie

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Clean beds and courteous staff. However, floors were very dirty, rafters in the ceilings had cobwebs, and multiple broken items throughout the facility: our locker door fell off, towel hooks had fallen out of the wall, the small fan in our bed area was non-functioning. The curtain rod on another person's bed area had fallen out and was perched precariously. I did not sleep the first night due to the shared bathroom next to our bed being used all throughout the night. Host said he would comp that night but I was still charged. Property needs some serious TLC.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Bob on 18 Oct 2022
Oh, boy...Well, we did comp the night (perhaps the refund hasn't hit your account yet), and made every concession to ensure you had the best possible stay, including: fixed your locker door within minutes, moved you to a quieter part of the hostel, and immediately addressed your issue with the guest who wasn't using headphones after 10pm. We did our absolute best. Here's the kicker: you ended up paying 1/2 the price of anyone else staying in the hostel, which is 1/4 of the price of any other place in town. We appreciate the feedback, but we respectfully request that you do not come back. If the hostel were a human being its feelings would be very hurt. Take good care, Leslie ("Not someone would EVER leave a scathing review.")

10/10 Excellent

Korah

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mikkel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent hostel. I met a lot of really interesting people!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

6/10 Okay

Wendy

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Ashley

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Will be back!!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Chad

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice hostel in Downtown Duluth, short walk to Canal Park and other attractions. Stayed 1 night in a shared space, clean & quiet, would definitely stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Phil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great place to stay would highly recommend and will be staying there again myself
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Eric

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This was a last minute option for me but ended up working out perfectly. Very clean and nicely decorated, this place has a nice vibe!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022

6/10 Okay

Julia

Travelled with family
Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Maybe I’m too old and picky for a hostel.
Have never stayed in a hostel. Not what we expected. Pictures showed a row of doors, then bunks. Perhaps I am naive, but expected bunk/bunks in a room with a door. Not what we got. Check in took a long time. Nice people, but he should have stayed off the “Saucy” before working, not the only one there, lots of second hand smoke highs were possible. 35-40 years ago we probably wouldn’t have minded at all. We were put on different floors, so asked to put us together. They did change but we were still not even in the same cubicle. I shared mine with a male stranger, we were the only women on the floor with only a curtain across the bunk. Uncomfortable. We are almost 60 and over 60 & had to climb into 5’ bunks doable for us, but again uncomfortable. We still paid over $100 each for a double bed apiece. We’ve paid equal or less for some very nice hotels in downtown of the twin cities. On the positive side, I slept fine on my mattress. (My friend prefers a softer one) The decor was fun and artsy. There was a kitchen we could use (fridges really need to be cleaned out) and plenty of seats in the shared space. There was an area outside with seats and a fire pit and an area to park said on-site but was two parking lots away. Still it was easy to get to. It was an interesting experience that would have been much more enjoyable 35 or more years ago. By far not the worst place we’ve stayed but we don’t wish to do it again. Guess we’re getting picky and want more comfort in our old ages.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The hostel is very clean and quaint. Great place to sleep without the need and expense of a hotel room. Cool common area to hang out in too. Finding the parking lot was a little confusing but we figured it out. The information they gave us was complete, we were just not familiar with the area and it was dark out.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022
Response from HDN on 6 Sept 2022
Thanks for the positive review!! We are happy to hear that you got settled and enjoyed your stay.

10/10 Excellent

Snow

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff were great and the bunks were comfy! People are really good about quiet hours, so sleeping there was pretty peaceful — just a few people who get up to use the bathroom here and there. Parking is also nice! $5 overnight I believe. Overall, I would love to stay here again!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022
Response from HDN on 26 Aug 2022
Thank you so much! We welcome you to come back any time!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022
Response from HDN on 26 Aug 2022
Thank you so much!

8/10 Good

Troy

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022
Response from HDN on 26 Aug 2022
Thank you! Feel free to email us ways in which we can improve!

8/10 Good

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
More privacy than many hostels. Comfortable. Quiet time could be improved on occasion.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022
Response from HDN on 14 Aug 2022
Thanks for the feedback, James! We look forward to hosting you again soon

8/10 Good

Bradley

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Duluth for Business
This was my first stay at a hostel. I have always wanted to. I checked in late the dorm was quite and respectful. My sleeper birth was welcoming, the personal fan was nice. I was hoping to meet some international hostel traveler and become pen pals! … maybe next time
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Kayleigh

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This was a new experience for my husband and I. It was really neat how it was like a dorm! We only needed this place for sleeping and it was perfect. The only complaint is the mattress was too firm for my liking. Other than that everything was clean, everyone was friendly. Would definitely stay here again!!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022
Response from HDN on 14 Aug 2022
We are SO happy you enjoyed your stay! Come visit again soon!

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Everyone was very nice & helpful.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from HDN on 14 Aug 2022
Thank you so much, Thomas! Come back anytime!

8/10 Good

rachel

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022
Response from HDN on 26 Aug 2022
Thank you! Feel free to email us with suggestions to improve!

10/10 Excellent

Grace

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022

8/10 Good

Larry

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022
Response from HDN on 26 Aug 2022
Thank you! Feel free to email us suggestions for improving!

10/10 Excellent

LouAnne

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very clean
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from HDN on 26 Aug 2022
Thank you so much! Come back soon

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Love it!
Way more amenities than Hotels.com listed. Two big fridges in the common area with real freezers, not mini fridges. I didn't use to sauna, but the door to the sauna was beautiful. There's also a little cold plunge. Recycling available. Toaster oven, microwave, electric burners, and dishwasher (basically a kitchen) in the common area. Picnic table and grill outside. A lot of neat seating inside. Sleeping area was quiet. I'm a light sleeper, so I started to hear footsteps around 5 am, but everyone was very respectful. Couldn't hear anyone talking in the common area. Staff was super nice and helpful. Parking was $5, about 100 yards from the hostel. Location is great. Lots of stuff going on in the area, great restaurants and bars within easy walking distance. Bus transit station two blocks away if needed, bus runs until almost midnight if you go to Wild State Cider or Duluth Cider like I did.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from HDN on 30 Jul 2022
SO glad you enjoyed your stay! We really appreciate the feedback and hope to host you again soon!

8/10 Good

Dinesh

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good for a dorm
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from HDN on 17 Jul 2022
Thank you so much, Dinesh! Come back soon!

10/10 Excellent

Nancy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Everything
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from HDN on 17 Jul 2022
Thank you so much, Nancy! Come back any time!

10/10 Excellent

Emma

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

8/10 Good

Matthew

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022
Response from HDN on 12 Jul 2022
Thank you, Matthew!